Milano Boxing Night
European super bantamweight champion, Mary Romero: “I’m ready to beat Maria Cecchi next week in Milan”
On May 13, at Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy, Opi Since 82-Matchroom-DAZN will promote a major card.
In the co-main event to Daniele Scardina (20-0 with 16 KOs) vs Giovanni De Carolis (30-10-1 with 14 KOs), European super bantamweight champion Mary Romero (7-2 with 2 KOs) will defend against former Italian champion Maria Cecchi (7-0 with 2 KOs). The fight will be entertaining because both women are fighters in the true sense of the word: they constantly move forward and attack, and never give up.
Mother of two, Mary Romero is also a proven champion in the other fighting sports having won world titles in kickboxing and muay thai. Winning the world title in muay thai in Thailand in March 2019 made her a star in Spain where the media think that she could make El Triplete = The triple crown: world titles in kickboxing, muay thai and boxing.
The 36-year-old Spaniard lives and trains in Puerto Lumbreras, Murcia region, where she is such a big star that they gave her name to a local building and the Mayor wished her good luck for the defence of her European championship against Maria Cecchi. This will be the second defence for Mary Romero, who won the Euro belt on January 18, 2020 in her own city defeating Ivanka Ivanova on points.
Then, the 5′ 5″ female defended the belt on September 11, 2021, in Barcelona (Spain) defeating British Amy Timlin who refused to start the ninth round. Her two defeats occurred very early on in her career and she is unbeaten in her last six years.
She took time out from her full lifestyle to discuss what it's like to balance being a mother and full-time employee with a pro boxing career; she reflects on past fights with undisputed queen Katie Taylor, and looks ahead to her next fight.
Mary how are you preparing for this fight?
“I am preparing well with my usual team led by my husband/trainer, Francisco Ponce. I was informed about this fight two months ago and I started training right away. It’s not easy for me to find a couple of hours a day to train because I work as security guard and I have two sons. I try to build a balance among my commitments. Anyway, I do one hour of athletics in the morning and one hour of boxing in the evening. I train at the place that has been named after me here in Puerto Lumbreras. I am the only female European champion from Murcia region. Among the men who won the European title, nobody was from Murcia.”
Do you have any problems making the weight?
“No, the super bantamweight division is my natural division. I don’t have any problems making the 55,340 kg limit.”
Have you watched any of Maria Cecchi’s fights?
“No, I leave that job to my team. They tell me what strategy to follow in the ring and I do as they say.”
Do you have a Spanish or foreign female champion as an idol?
“Not really. My idol is featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight world champion Vasily Lomachenko. Among women. I like undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor. I fought her twice when we were amateurs. She won on points the first time, in Ireland, but I gave her a lot of trouble. Her team asked me to fight her again and I accepted. She won on points again, but she had a hard time again. They say that my style is difficult for her.”
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